ACI - Alameda - Customer Center - Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions and concerns regarding our collection program, the following information may help address them for you.

What goes in each of my residential containers?

Click here for an alphabetized list of what goes in each cart.

How can I become a successful organics recycler?

If you do not want to use the kitchen pail, don't! There are other options:

Ask for paper instead of plastic when you shop. Then, wrap all food scraps in newspaper or butcher paper before placing them in a bag. Wrapping food waste in paper helps to reduce pests, odors, and leakage from food moisture. Then, take your bag of scraps out to your green organics cart as often as you like - no pail to keep clean or carry back to your dwelling on your way out!
Instead of using a paper bag, use an empty waxed paper milk carton or ice cream container (no plastic). This is especially helpful during warm summer months as you can put the closed cartons back into the refrigerator or freezer until full. When you are ready, empty the contents of your container into a paper bag and deposit into your green organics cart. Again, this helps to reduce pests, odors, and leakage from food moisture and does not require you to carry a pail back to your dwelling.
Freeze potentially malodorous items such as chicken/fish bones and skin and deposit them in your green cart the night before, or by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.
Add yard trimmings, floral arrangements, or grass clippings to your organics cart (or ask your landscaper to do so). It is helpful to mix these organic materials with your food waste and food soiled paper products, such as pizza boxes, paper plates, napkins, and paper towels to reduce odors.
A few residents have expressed concerns about maggots. Your best line of defense is cleanliness, which can be achieved by following the above suggestions.

What should I do with my growing pile of empty bottles that have California Redemption Value (CRV)?

They can be placed in your blue recycling cart (along with other bottles, cans, jars, paper products and miscellaneous recyclables) for convenient curbside collection; ACI will make sure they’re recycled. Or, you can take them to a buy-back center where your deposit (5 cents for containers less than 24 ounces, 10 cents for larger containers) will be returned to you. A number of buy-back centers are located in Alameda. Among the locations are the Marina Village Shopping Center (815 Marina Village Parkway) and Alameda Towne Centre (523 South Shore Center). For additional locations and more information contact the California State Department of Conservation, call 1-800-RECYCLE or visit www.bottlesandcans.com.

Whatever you do, please don’t put empty CRV containers in the trash!

What can you tell me about residential collection service and carts?

Collection for Alameda residents is weekly and includes organic waste, commingled recyclables, and solid waste. For more detailed information, please see our Recycling Guide.

Please place your carts at the curb on your collection day before 5 a.m. Make sure to return carts to their proper place by midnight on your collection day.

The following is a description of each cart the corresponding service provided by ACI:

Gray Cart- Solid Waste. No recyclable or organic materials.
Blue Cart - Commingled Recyclables. No solid waste or organic materials.
Green Cart - Organic Materials. This includes food, food-soiled paper products, and yard waste. No solid waste or recyclable materials.
Kitchen Pail (small green) - Food Scraps. This pail is provided to each resident in Alameda through a County grant to aid in the collection of organic materials. If you choose to use the kitchen pail, please empty its contents into your green organics cart (wheeled) as needed.

For further information, please consult ACI's Residential Recycling Guide for a comprehensive list of recyclable and non-recyclable items or send email inquiries to: AskOzzie@alamedacountyindustries.com

NOTE: Performance tests on our carts determined that animal access is virtually impossible. The only way animals (such as raccoons, opossums, and rats) can access the contents of your carts is if the contents are overflowing and the lid does not close, or if the animal knocks over the cart, which would be extremely difficult. If somehow your cart becomes broken or damaged, please contact customer service for a replacement, free of charge.

Are there discounts, extra services, and exemptions available to residents?

Yes. ACI offers discounts, an additional service, and an exemption listed below.

Discounts:

Senior Discount (15%) - Must be 65 and over and show proof of age (I.D. or Driver's license). Application is required.
LIRA (low income) Discount (15%) - Must show proof of income. Application is required.

Discounts cannot be combined.

Additional Service:

On Premise Collection ($3.30 per month per cart) - However, the service is free to residents providing proof of a physical inability to transport the carts.

Exemption:

Integrated Waste Management (IWM) Exemption - Must provide dump receipts for all solid waste and recyclable materials.

For more information, please see our Forms & Applications page.

I've been hearing a lot about the proper disposal of household batteries, fluorescent bulbs/tubes, and other items called "universal waste". What's the deal?

Until recently, households and some small businesses were allowed to put common batteries, electronic devices, and fluorescent light bulbs in the trash. Homeowners could also throw away mercury-containing thermostats in the same manner. As of February 9, 2006, however, these items must be treated like the hazardous universal wastes they are.(See chart below for complete list of universal wastes.)

It is illegal to dispose of universal or hazardous waste in the garbage. By throwing toxic wastes in the garbage, you can cause additional hazards not only to your garbage handler but to all of us. Eventually, chemicals in illegally disposed hazardous waste can be released into the environment and contaminate our air, water, and possibly the food we eat.

Alameda County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program collects universal waste at its drop-off facilities. For detailed information, log onto www.household-hazwaste.org or call 1-800-606-6606. For your convenience, ACI collects household batteries at its local office at 2307 Blanding Ave, Suite B, in Alameda. Please call ahead at (510) 483-1400 for office hours or directions. Many retailers also collect certain universal wastes. Next time you visit your favorite store, be sure to ask if they have any collection/recycling programs available for their customers.

For more information on universal waste, go to the website for The State of California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control www.dtsc.ca.gov.

Common Batteries	AA, AAA, C cells, D cells and button batteries (e.g. hearing aid batteries)	Corrosive
Fluorescent Tubes and Bulbs and Other Mercury-Containing Lamps	Fluorescent light tubes and bulbs, high intensity discharge (HID), metal halide, sodium, and neon bulbs	Toxic Metal
Electronic Devices	Televisions, computer monitors, cell phones, telephones, radios, microwave ovens, electric space heaters	Toxic Metal
Thermostats	“Tilt switch” of the old style thermostats	Toxic Metal
Pilot Light Sensors	Stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, water heaters, furnaces and space heaters	Toxic Metal
Mercury Gauges	Some gauges, such as barometers, manometers, blood pressure	Toxic Metal
Mercury Added Novelties	Greeting cards that play music when opened; athletic shoes with flashing lights in soles; and mercury maze games	Toxic Metal
Mercury Thermometers	Mercury thermometers typically contain about a half gram of mercury	Toxic Metal
Non-Empty Aerosol Cans that Contain Hazardous Materials	Many aerosol cans contain flammables, like butane, as propellants for products like paint. If your aerosol can is labeled with words like TOXIC or FLAMMABLE	Toxic Metal

How can I properly dispose of my old TV, computer, fax machine, and/or other pieces of electronic waste?

ACI collects a very limited amount of e-waste through the Annual On-Call Clean Up Program. If you have more than one piece of e-waste or if you’re not eligible for that program, go to www.universalwaste.com and look for a listing of East Bay collection events. Or, contact StopWaste and see what they suggest; www.StopWaste.org or 1-877-StopWaste.

How do I get rid of used syringes?

The recommended method for handling syringes (or “sharps”) is to use the County’s drop-off locations, other designated locations (check with your doctor, hospital or pharmacist) or to subscribe to mail-back programs authorized by the US Postal Service. As a lat resort, at-home sharps users can use the “Household Bleach Bottle” method of disposal. Simply use an empty container, such as a thick plastic bleach or detergent bottle, to collect used sharps. Containers with wide spouts are best. When the container is ½ to ¾ full of sharps, follow these steps to dispose of the container safely:

Choose a well-ventilated room (or space outside) and grab a large bucket, a durable stirring utensil, rubber gloves, safety glasses, cold tap water, bleach, and Plaster of Paris (which can be purchased at hardware stores and many art supply stores).
Using the bucket, mix 4 ½ cups water with ½ cup bleach.
Add ten cups Plaster of Paris and stir. This will make a thick slurry, which should be poured immediately into the container holding the sharps.
Wait approximately 12 to 24 hours for the Plaster of Paris to harden. Recap the container with the original bottle cap.
Now the sharps are disinfected, unusable, and safe to dispose of in your regular garbage can.

What do I do with old cell phones?

You can donate it! Try logging onto www.keepcaliforniabeautiful.org and click on “Donate That Phone.” Also, check out the RBRC’s (Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation? Free take back program for both rechargeable batteries and cell phones at www.call2recycle.com.

What do I need to know about Quagga Mussels and my boat?

Everything you need to know about this invasive parasite can be found on the California government website. Just click here to read more and download valuable PDF information.

What should I do if I can't fit all my recyclables and organics in my carts?

Residents may request an additional blue and/or green cart at no extra charge. Please call customer service to make arrangements. Unfortunately, we cannot collect extra bags, cans, bundles, or boxes of materials. We only collect what is placed inside the appropriate carts.